Hand winder for flexible material



y 2, 1963 w. P. TAYLOR, JR 3,096,040

HAND WINDER FOR FLEXIBLE MATERIAL Filed June 14, 1960- 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR 74 9/72? fig/A; J7.

ATTORNEYS July 2, 1963 w. P. TAYLOR, JR 3,096,040

HAND WINDER FOR FLEXIBLE MATERIAL Filed June 14, 1960 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 'IIIIIIIIIII'I'III [III I .Z&

ATTORNEYS July 2, 1963 w. P. TAYLOR, JR 3,096,040

HAND WINDER FOR FLEXIBLE MATERIAL Filed June 14, 1960 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 7a 5: E ll 2 1| 1 I I l I I 6o I \5 I l I: I;

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BY 6% M United States Patent Ofiice 3,095,646 Patented July 2, 1963 3,096,040 HAND ER FOR FLEFLE MATERIAL Walter P. Tayler, Ira, 4244 12th St, Long island City, N.Y. Filed June 14, 196i Ser- No. 36,663 7 Claims. (Cl. 242-4351) The invention relates to devices for winding or retrieving medium lengths of flexible linear substances such as wire, coaxial cable, air or fluid hose, wire rope, rope, ribbon, tape, fuse, welding rod, and the like; and especially to devices which form such substances into packages that provide eflicient dispensing or payout; as well as to holders for such packages.

The primary object of this invention is to provide efficient means for carrying to location, laying out or installing, and then retrieving, ready to repeat the cycle, lines such, for one instance, as those used with por table recording or other electric equipment.

Another object is to provide means for forming such lines into packages in figure eight conformation so that the line can be payed out without twist or kink, the package will control its own rate of feed, and will require no rotation.

Another object is to provide a frame onto which line can be wound by hand in a figure eight conformation, the frame being then Wholly or partly collapsible to allow removal of the wound package and for efiicient storage.

There is a shortage .of practicable mechanical aids for laying out or retrieving relatively short lengths of linear substance, lengths generally limited by the weight of any substance which can be carried or wound by hand comfortably. The shortcomings of reels for this purpose are considerable and generally lead to hand coiling methods which leave the line and its connectors exposed to damage between installations and in a snarled condition preceding reinstallation. In addition, the coils must be unwound by hand turning to prevent self damage and the dangers to personnel that result from twist, and consequent kink, in the line. Both installing and retrieving are time-consuming and generally unsatisfactory.

In place of present methods, this invention provides (1) a frame on which the line can be wound in figure eights and which can be collapsed for removal and storage; and (2) a figure eight wound package of line which controls itself by paying out :treely in response to pull on the line but stops payout when the pull ceases and which, without rotation, pays out a twistless line.

The elements required for an efiicient figure eight hand winder are: first, handle, for the operator; second, top and bottom supports, which hold the line. These can be separated and can include intermediate supports, can be combined in one piece, or can be split and placed on either side of a divider. Third, the divider, which separates the two bights or groups of loops, which can be the handle, and usually includes the starting end of the line. Fourth, means to assist removal of the winder from the wound package; and, fifth, means to collapse the device for storage.

The chief characteristics of the wound package coil according to the invention are: (:2), its division into two equal groups of loops, separated by the payout line, to form a payout hole area and, (b) a rounded bump area where the crossovers areconcentrated. These two combine to form the line into figure 'eights which pay out a twistless, and hence a kinkless, line without rotation of the package. The overall shape of such coils can be distorted in any direction by the shaping of the winding frame.

Experience has shown that a line wound in this tormation will generally pay out freely when pulled and will stop itself when the pull ceases, the spring of the line which resists closure of its loop, the torque required for equalizing the twists from the two hights, and the triction at the payout hole combining to resist run-out.

A turther object of the invention is to provide a holder for the wound package which is light in weight and easy to carry, and which holds the formed package in such a way that it pays out readily.

:Further objects and advantages of the invention will appear more fully from the following description especially when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which form a part thereof.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 shows in side elevation a hand winder embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is a cross-section on the line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a cross-section on the line 33 of FIG. 4, through a modified form of hand winder;

FIG. 4 is a side view of such a winder, with the cover removed;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a detail;

FIG. 6 is a top plan view of the locking plate;

FIG. 7 shows in side elevation, with parts broken away, another modified type of winder;

FIG. 8 is a cross-section on the line 88 of FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is an enlarged view of the locking means thereof.

In the form of FIGS. 1 and 2, there is a shank composed of a handle 2 having an upwardly extending paddle section 4. In a slot 6 in the paddle section are pivoted on common axes 8 two fiexible-material-receiving members or supports 1d, which are of arcuate crosssection. These two members can swing between an operative position, shown in solid lines, in which their longitudinal axes 12 lie in planes forming an obtuse angle with each other, and the inoperative position, shown in dotted lines, in which their longitudinal axes are parallel. The paddle member 4, which lies in a plane transverse to the longitudinal axes of member 10, also extends beyond the pivot 8 and has a saddle-shaped portion with a surface 14 for receiving flexible material as it is wound on the device. This surface faces upwardly (FIG. 1) or oppositely to the obtuse angle between the supports 10, which faces downwardly.

Means are provided for releasably holding the members It) \in operative position, comprising a resilient metal strip 16 secured to one of the members and having a hooked end 18 engageable through a slot in lug 20 fixed to the other member 14 By pushing the hooked end downwardly, the members 10 may be released and collapsed to the position shown in broken lines in FIG. 2.

In this form of the invention, the starting end of the line is held along the handle by the operators left hand, the paddle pointing up and the pieces 1! parallel to his shoulders. With the right hand providing tension, the operator leads the line up to and across the surface 14-, then down to that side of the left support which is away from him, around the support by coming toward himself and back up to the surface 14. The left hand helps in doing this by leaning the paddle toward the right and making a circular recovery motion that assists in bringing the line taut around the left support. Then, a similar turn is taken outward, down, in, and up around the right hand lower support. This process is continued on alternate sides until the winder is loaded or the line all wound. The cross-overs of the figure 8 coil so wound engage the surface 14.

Next, the wound package is removed from the winder. This is made possible by releasing the two supports so that they can hinge upward. A cord passed between either bight and the face of the paddle just above one of the supports and pulled upward in a loop helps to remove the package and at the same time hold it in formation while maintaining the division between bights.

The same cord helps in pulling the wound package into a a container for storage and payout or will hold it until tape, a rubber band or a tie can be fastened around the outside of the package to retain it, the starting end maintaining the hole or division between bights, ready for payout.

In theform of FIGS. 3 to 6, there are four pivoted fleXible-material-receiving members, two at each end of the handle.

The handle or shank is composed of a hollow frame 30 composed of two parts held together by pins 32, 34. The side walls are cut away at each corner to provide notches 36, land the ends are closed, except for these notches, by caps 38. The flexible-material-receiving members are in the form of arms 40, 42 having crosspieces 44 pivotally engaged in notches 36, where they are held by cap 38, and spaced legs 46. Cross pieces 44 have welded to them a plate member 48.

Slidable longitudinally in each end of the casing are assemblies of the type shown in FIG. 6. This consists of two plates 50 held together slidably, with lugs 52 stuck out from the plates. The side edges of the plates are bent at right angles to form holding or locking members '54. Rods 56 extend through holes in the lugs 52 of both jplates, and are surrounded by compression coil springs 58, thus constantly urging the plates into locking position, in which, as seen in FIG. 3, the locking members 54 block plates 48 of the arms and thus hold the arms in operative position in which the longitudinal axes of each pair of arms lie in planes forming obtuse 'angles with each other, while the longitudinal axes of the arms, one of each pair, on the same side of the shank,

'lie in planes forming an angle with each other.

Release of the arms is produced by movement of a 'lever 60 pivoted on pin 34 and having end portions extending out of the handle through slots 62 and provided with finger pieces 64. A link 66 is pivoted at one end to lever 60 and at the other end in slot 68 in one pair of the plates 50. On the other side of pin 34, a similar link 67, which is pivoted in a slot 68 in the other pair of plates 50, engages in an arcuate slot 70 in lever 60.

connection with FIGS. 1 and 2, windsla series of figure 8 coils. The loops of the figure 8 coil are formed around the two arms 4% or 42 at one end of the handle, while the arms at the other end 'form an oppositely facing surface which is engaged by the cross-overs. When the wound material is to be removed, the lever 60 is swung clockwise (FIG. 4). This first pulls the upper pair of plates 50 downward and, slightly thereafter (because of the sliding of the linkin arcuate slot, 70) pulls the lower pair of plates 50 upward. These movements remove members '54 from their blocking positions and allow the legs 40, 42 to collapse towards each other to an inoperative position to allow removal of the wound material. Arms 40, which are narrower than arms 42 as shown in FIG. 4, are allowed to collapse first in order that arms 42 can overlie them as shown in broken lines in FIG. 3.

When lever 60 is released, plates 50 move apart and lmembers 54 then resiliently limit the movement of the collapsed arms 40, 42 by engaging plates 48 on their other sides (see dotted lines in FIG. 3). However, when any arm is pulled out to operative position, its part 48 cams down plates 54 until they can snap back into the this is suflicieut to allow removal of a wound package and only the one need be reraised. This action can be arranged for by elongating one of slots 68 in plate 50 of one of the narrower arms 4% at its end nearest link 66. This will allow the link 66 to release only one of that pair of arms while the other remains locked. The arcuate slot allows the other pair of arms to remain operable unless the lever is pulled down far enough to cause all to be released.

Or, on a small version of the device, one or more arms could be resiliently bendable to allow removal of the package without mechanical collapse.

Another version, possibly for knitting yarn or string, which, both in order to compact the package and to keep the substance in small enough loops so that its natural spring can assist them to avoid intertwining with one another, would :be too short to allow use of its shank as a handle can be made usable by the addition of a folding handle. This handle could be formed from two pieces which could fold along the sides through which levers 64 protrude, being hinged, as on rivet 32, and holding the winding device firmly for operation when squeezed together by the operators hand.

In the form of FIGS. 7 'to 9, the handle is formed of plates 70 connected by pins 72. The four arms 74 are pivoted on the pins 72, and secured to the pivot sections of the arms are discs 76, separated by a central plate 78.

Looking members 80, one for each arm, are slidably guided between handle plates 70 and central plate- 78, and are pushed outwardly by springs 82. Members have finger pieces 84 extending out through slots 86 in the plates 70.

The outer ends of locking members 80 have rectangulapse them.

Preferably, the disc is slightly cut away at 96, at the inlet slide of notch 90, so that, as the arm is turned to operative position (counter-clockwise in FIG. 9), projection 88 will strike the trailing (left-hand) wall of the notch, so that the member 88 can thensnap into the notch.

Obviously, winding could be accomplished on a device of this type and the package formed could be removed from it even if all of the arms were not collapsible, al-

though the carrying of the device would not be as simple. 7

Even permitting'one arm to collapse would be suflioient for these purposes. a

While I have described herein some embodiments of my invention, I Wish it to be understood that I do not intend to limit myself thereby except within the scope of the claims hereto or hereinafter appended.

I claim:

1. A hand winder for winding flexible material into a series of figure-8 coils, comprising a shank, at least two flexible-material-receiving members extending from said shank, means pivoting said members on said shank for movement about at least one axis transverse to the longitudinal axis of the shank between an operative position in which their longitudinal axes liein planes forming an obtuse angle with each other and a released position in which the longitudinal axes lie closer to the longitudinal axis of the shank, and releasablemeans for holding the receiving members in operative position, the pivoting means pivoting the two receiving members being at. a common point on the shank so as to extend in opposite directions therefrom and the shank having an extension beyond said common point having an end surface of saddle shape extending transversely to the common plane of the longitudinal axis of the receiving members.

2. A hand Winder for winding flexible material into a series of figure 8 coils, comprising a shank, two pairs of flexible-material-receiving members, means pivoting said pairs of members on the shank at opposite ends thereof for movement between an operative position in which the longitudinal axes of the members of each pair lie in planes forming obtuse angles with each other and the longitudinal axes of the two members, one of each pair, on the same side of the shank lie in planes forming an angle with each other and a released position in which the longitudinal axes lie closer to the longitudinal axis of the shank, and releasable means for holding the receiving members in operative position.

3. A device as claimed in claim 2, in which said releasable means are in the shank.

4. A device as claimed in claim 3, in which the pivot means allows the members in released position to lie alongside the shank.

5. A hand winder for winding flexible material into a series of figure 8 coils, comprising a shank, at least two fiexible-material-receiving members extending from said shank, means pivoting said members on said shank for movement between an operative position in which their longitudinal axes lie in planes forming an obtuse angle with each other and a released position in which the longitudinal axes lie substantially parallel with each other, said shank having a flexible-material-receiving part mounted thereon with a surface facing oppositely to said obtuse angle and located at a distance along said shank from said pivot means in the direction of the apex of said obtuse angle, the cross-overs of a figure 8 coil wound on said device engaging said surface.

6. A hand winder for winding flexible material into a series of figure '8 coils, comprising a shank, two pairs of flexible-material-receiving members, means mounting said pairs of members on the shank at opposite ends thereof in the position in which the longitudinal axes of the members of each pair lie in planes forming obtuse angles with each other, said mounting means permitting movement of at least one of the members of one pair for collapsing movement towards the corresponding member of the other pair to permit removal of a wound package.

7. A hand winder for winding flexible material into a series of figure 8 coils, comprising a shank, at least two fiexible-material-receiving members extending from said shank, means mounting said members on the shank in a position in which the longitudinal axes of the members lie in planes forming an obtuse angle with each other, said shank having a flexible-material-receiving part mounted thereon with a surface facing oppositely to said obtuse angle and located at a distance along said shank from said mounting means in the direction of the apex of said obtuse angle, said mounting means permitting movement of at least one of the members for collapsing movement towards said surface to permit removal of a wound package.

References (Jited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,005,155 Chatillon Oct. 10, 1911 1,040,740 Niswonger Oct. 8, 1912 1,365,762 Zinow Ian. 18, 1921 1,728,106 Collins Sept. 10, 1929 2,423,533 Turner July 8, 1947 2,677,510 Osborne May 4, 1954 

1. A HAND WINDER FOR WINDING FLEXIBLE MATERIAL INTO A SERIES OF FIGURE-8 COILS, COMPRISING A SHANK, AT LEAST TWO FLEXIBLE-MATERIAL-RECEIVING MEMBERS EXTENDING FROM SAID SHANK, MEANS PIVOTING SAID MEMBERS ON SAID SHANK FOR MOVEMENT ABOUT AT LEAST ONE AXIS TRANSVERSE TO THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF THE SHANK BETWEEN AN OPERATIVE POSITION IN WHICH THEIR LONGITUDINAL AXES LIEN IN PLANES FORMING AN OBRUSE ANGLE WITH EACH OTHER AND A RELEASED POSITON IN WHICH THE LONGITUDINAL AXES LIE CLOSER TO THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF THE SHANK, AND RELEASABLE MEANS FOR HOLDING THE RECEIVING MEMBERS IN OPERATIVE POSITION, THE PIVOTING MEANS PIVOTING THE TWO RECEIVING MEMBERS BEING AT A COMMON POINT IN THE SHANK SO AS TO EXTEND IN OPPOSITION DIRECTIONS THEREFROM AND THE SHANK HAVING AN EXTENSION BEYOND SAID COMMON POINT HAVING AN END SURFACE OF SADDLE SHAPE EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY TO THE COMMON PLANE OF THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF THE RECEIVING MEMBERS. 